


Deification

by darthrevaan (Burning_Nightingale)



Series: Pirates of A Galaxy Far Far Away [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pirates of the Caribbean Fusion, Multi, Space Pirates, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 06:13:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5994457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burning_Nightingale/pseuds/darthrevaan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The <i>Invisible Hand</i> must always have a captain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deification

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr, inspired by an ask prompt from hamelin-born.

_Life expectancy’s short for a pirate._

Obi-Wan had said that. It seemed like such a long time ago now. The phrase chased itself around and around Anakin’s head as his vision started to fade. It seemed urgent that he stay…hold on…

Blurred figures in his line of sight. Was someone touching his face?

Someone was touching his face. Holding his face. He could see her lips moving. Couldn’t hear the words.

Darkness was rising up around him, swallowing him.

_Rule one,_ he heard Obi-Wan’s voice say, _Don’t fall out the airlock. You can drown just as well in a vacuum as in water._

He’d fallen out the airlock; that must be it. Padmé’s face…her hands…it was a dream and he was drowning, drowning in the darkness, the dark empty places between the stars…

There was a warmth on his hand, but he could barely feel it; he was slipping away…

Far off, hoarse and quiet but clear, a voice said, _Part of the ship, part of the crew._

And there was something else in the darkness; another presence in the void.

_I’m dead,_ Anakin said.

_You are on the cusp,_ the other said; it had a woman’s voice, deep and sibilant. _I can bring you back._

_To life?_

_There is a price._

There was a whispering noise, like wind in the dunes. Such an old sound; it made Anakin think of the sun, strong and hot. Vibrant. Alive.

He wanted to live.

_Tell me the price._

A ripple through the void; to Anakin, it felt like a laugh. _The_ Invisible Hand _must always have a captain._

Somehow, he understood.

_Send me back._

_My warden._ The other’s voice was strong. Final. _My servant._

_Always._

/

Padmé hadn’t spoken a word as the escape pod jettisoned from the _Invisible Hand_ , or as it floated in space, waiting for rescue. She didn’t speak until their feet hit the deck on the _Twilight_ , and it was clear through the viewport that the burnt out wreck of the _Hand_ was already sinking out of sight into the asteroid field, ready to be consumed. “It didn’t work,” she said, her voice dull and flat. “All that magic, superstition…it was a lie.”

Obi-Wan eyed the rapidly disappearing hulk of the broken starship. He should feel like Padmé; devastated, lost, grieving. But something in him said, _wait_.

“I don’t think it’s over yet,” he murmured.

“The _Dauntless_ is coming up dead ahead, Captain,” Cody said from somewhere behind him; at the helm, most likely. “Evasive action?”

The _Hand_ was almost completely gone, the flurry of rocks and debris washing over it. As its bow slipped gently out of sight, Obi-Wan said, “Hold. Wait a little longer.”

Padmé was staring at him; hope and desperation warred in her eyes.

“The rest of the fleet is in position and awaiting your orders, your…majesty,” Cody said, hesitating a little over the title as if he wasn’t sure whether it was the correct one to use.

“Hold,” Padmé said quietly.

“Captain…” Obi-Wan could hear the unease, the tightly reined-in fear just under the surface of Cody’s voice.

“Don’t worry, I see them,” he said, glancing at the tactical display dotted with little red lights that indicated the positions of their oncoming enemy.

“It can’t,” Padmé whispered, “It can’t have worked.”

There was a flash of light, colour, from the asteroid field. Padmé jumped.

Obi-Wan turned sharply to face Cody where he stood at the helm. “Full speed ahead, offensive position. Intercept course with the _Dauntless_.”

Cody blinked. “Sir- the odds of surviving a direct assault on a Star Destroyer-”

“The odds have been suicidal from the beginning, Cody,” Obi-Wan said, the hint of a grin on his face. “If we go out, let’s go out in style.”

The corners of Cody’s lips twitched. “Aye, aye, Captain.” Then, to the crew, he shouted, “Full speed ahead! Man the battle stations!”

/

“It’s obviously a suicide run,” Admiral Tarkin sniffed. “Permission to destroy, Lord Palpatine?”

“Granted,” Palpatine said. He watched as the small light on the tactical display that indicated the _Twilight_ ’s position turned and changed velocity, heading straight for them. “ _Captain Kenobi_ has wasted enough of my time as it is.”

“Battle stations,” Tarkin said, almost languidly, causing a flurry of activity around them.

“They can’t possibly hope to destroy us,” one of the junior officers commented. “What are they hoping to achieve?”

“Death,” Palpatine smiled, savouring the word.

In a moment the _Twilight_ would be visible from the bridge’s large viewport; Palpatine moved over to it. He wanted a good view of this show. Soon enough he saw it, drives ramped up to maximum speed, arrowing toward them through the darkness. _Finally, the end._

“Sir?” A hesitant voice spoke up. “We’re detecting some odd readings in the asteroid field, sir.”

“Probably just the _Hand_ breaking up,” Tarkin said dismissively.

“That’s just it, sir – we accounted for the disturbance that would create, but this…it’s more akin to…”

“Akin to _what_?” Tarkin snapped.

“The readings would suggest that…that a ship of about the _Hand_ ’s power and size had started up its drives within the asteroid field, sir.”

“That’s impossible,” Tarkin said.

“I know, sir, but the readings indicate-”

“It’s an anomaly,” Palpatine cut him off sharply. “We all saw the _Hand_ go down with our own eyes. Focus on the _Twilight_.”

“Yes, sir.” Footsteps retreated.

“All batteries, prepare to take aim,” Tarkin instructed.

“Sir!” A sudden, urgent voice piped up. “Admiral, the _Invisible Hand_ ’s transponder signal just came back online!”

“Track it,” Tarkin snapped. Then, lower, “By the stars. I don’t pretend to like the man, but if Dooku’s pulled the _Hand_ out of that fiasco I might actually start to respect him.”

Disquiet stirred in Palpatine’s mind; it was the sinking, pervasive feeling that something was wrong. “Indeed.”

“Admiral, we can confirm; a ship that is either the _Invisible Hand_ itself, or a ship of equal size and power faking its transponder signal, has moved out of the asteroid field and is moving to an offensive footing,” the comms officer reported.

“An offensive footing? With what as their target?” Tarkin asked.

“Unclear; assumed to be the pirate vessel _Twilight_.”

“Well, I suppose we can just sit back then,” Tarkin said sourly.

Palpatine’s unease spiked. “No,” he snapped, “We can’t trust Dooku. Do not stand down.”

“As you wish, my lord,” Tarkin said.

The _Twilight_ grew closer in the viewport; soon enough the _Invisible Hand_ appeared behind it, seemingly giving chase. “Dooku can catch them before they reach us,” Tarkin said.

Palpatine said nothing.

Still the two ships came on; Tarkin began to shift in place, and Palpatine could sense his unease. “Dooku should be in range,” he muttered. He called to the officer, “Is the _Hand_ in range?”

“Y…yes, sir,” the officer replied.

“Why isn’t he firing?” Tarkin demanded of no one in particular. “He could destroy them with a few blasts!”

_Betrayal_ , Palpatine thought. It was such an odd word, after all this time.

 “The _Twilight_ is in range, sir!” a voice yelled.

“All batteries fire!” Tarkin shouted. 

Suddenly, it all seemed very far away.


End file.
